


Slowly but Surely

by WordThief



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fake marriage?, Fluff, Kinda, Leo Valdez deserves love, Love at First Sight, M/M, Marriage of Convinience, Omegaverse, POV Alternating, flirting?, kingdom au, masquerade balls, ooc but what can you do?, or at least attraction, so does Nico di Angelo, the omegaverse is mostly there for plot convinience, writer is exhausted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:53:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23498560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordThief/pseuds/WordThief
Summary: I’m back on my bullshit, did you guys miss me?How many times had it been? How many times had he allowed himself to love something only for it to be stripped away from him in the name of teaching him his place? Why should his relationship be any different?But he has learned something, learned to twist his word in order to get what he wants; and is it really that awful that he utilize this knowledge? After all this time, isn’t he owed some happiness?
Relationships: Hades/Persephone (Percy Jackson), Nico di Angelo/Leo Valdez
Comments: 6
Kudos: 55





	1. The plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I actually go all the way with this; feel free to send me encouragement if you like where I’m taking it. Look, some things had to be altered for them to make sense; and despite the undertones, I promise this is a very soft AU.  
> The proper names of the kingdoms are: Άδη & Σφυρηλάτηση (if you wanted to look up what those meant).

The kingdom of Ádi was extensive as it was powerful, claiming six rivers as their own, and being the first of the three most fearsome armies; all things any kingdom would be proud of, and that many a kingdom coveted. Their king was an imposing alpha, with a beautiful omega as his queen; both kind rulers beloved by their people.

When they announced their second born to be an alpha, and thus proper heir to the throne, the whole kingdom celebrated, while the neighboring kingdoms started planning. To get one of their omega children married to the Ádi prince would assure them a most powerful ally should peace ever be broken; not to mention the rise of status for any omega who managed to capture the prince’s heart.

So it came as no surprise that once the boy reached a certain age, he started gathering a considerable amount of possible suitors. But the prince, who’d seen the love between his parents, would not settle for anything less than the spark his father spoke of when remembering his first meeting with the boy’s mother.

The kingdom of Sfirilátisi, on the other hand, was rather small, though a mining kingdom of long history, it was not very powerful, depending on its alliances with other kingdoms; and there were many, for the king had many children to marry off. The king wasn’t exactly cruel, his people were very happy under his rule, his kingdom thrived; but he wasn’t kind either, seemingly out of touch with his status as father.

He’d managed to marry and promise all his children but one, his youngest son, who had the misfortune of being born omega.

See, male omegas, though socially not much different from their female counterparts, ran the terrifying chance of not being able to handle a pregnancy as their letter required, or worse, being sterile. Most were repulsed by the mere thought of having to deal with a breeder who was most likely not able to do their job, and those who kept this opinion to themselves were few and far in between.

The distaste was such that the boy could not even hold a title, for fear the court would riot over being told to treat such a creature with a respect they did not think it deserved. Under this heavy cloud of rejection, many a soul would be hard pressed not to grow resentful; and though the not-prince held little love for his kingdom, he instead became determined.

Leo would win the heart of a well-endowed alpha, and show all of the wrong by becoming the omega all other omegas looked up to. The only problem was that, in order to do this, he had to convince the entire court and his family that he loathed the idea of a marriage to an alpha more than anything in the world.

So came the day where the King of Ádi could no longer stall for his son, and in a last desperate attempt to keep his child happy, proposed a compromise. He proposed to his son that perhaps the reason he felt so repelled by his possible suitors was that few of them tried to hide where their interest resided (not on Nico himself, but what he represented for them); and that if they were deprived of this knowledge Nico would be able to meet them for real.

To make this work, the King would throw a masquerade party, presented as a show of good faith and chance to strengthen alliances, inviting all omegas of royal blood and, to give his son true anonymity, all alphas of that status as well. The only thing to help distinguish the guests will be that the masks will have a design proclaiming which letter the wearer is.

Knowing that this is the last chance he has of maybe finding something half as good as what his parents have, Nico accepts the idea, but makes his dad add a clause stopping ‘introductions’ as they would ruin the mystery immediately, saying he can say it’s so they can be free of any previous bias, permitting pairings with people from kingdoms that would perhaps get overlooked otherwise.

Having reached an agreement, the castle staff was promptly made aware of this event, and invitations were sent across the world.

One did reach the kingdom of Sfirilátisi, falling into Leo’s hands first, as being treated poorly meant he could easily slip away unnoticed; seeing this as his opportunity he quickly comes up with a plan, while making sure no one will be able to tell the letter was opened before it reached the king.

When it finally does later that afternoon, Leo’s already had time to prepare, and he pulls every stop he can think of; only to have to hide his absolute delight when it works like a charm, and he’s not only allowed to go, but being basically forced to attend. Which means his father puts actual effort in getting him something proper to wear.

Later, when he allows himself to inspect it properly in the safety of his room, he finds that the top is more of a dress, only the front of the skirt stops a little below the waist, while the back goes all the way to a little above Leo’s ankles, to show off the matching set of pants, the upper part in beautiful maroon with delicate details in golden thread, and the pants in a darker tone, but solid; the mask that will cover all but his eyes and mouth is a metal-like copper color, with a black omega symbol on the left cheek. He’s a little disappointed with the mask, but he’ll have to make it work; it’s the only chance he’s got.


	2. The meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you wanted something %100 loyal to how the characters are in the book, I’m not your writer; but if you wanted some fluff with hopefully an interesting plot, then I am. I’m not even the slightest bit sorry.

Nico’s suit is black with details in silver string, it has a military sort of style to it, but otherwise would go perfectly unnoticed in what’s likely to be a sea of colorful and outstanding attires; he doesn’t remember ever feeling this good about a suit. The mask is black too, with silver designs on each eyehole and a smallish silver alpha in between; the shape itself curls upwards on both edges.

It doesn’t hide as much as he wants, but it’s so simple that he knows the combination will make most of his guests skim right over him; it gives him a little more anonymity, as no one would expect the host to try and disappear in plain sight. 

He has to go around the castle in order to enter through the front gate like any other guest, and the servants throw him amused looks, but no one introduces him, nor turns around as he joins the already crowded ballroom. There are even couples on the floor, dancing to the soft melodies produced by a band placed on a corner.

He mingles for a little, amused by how differently he’s treated when no one knows who he is, none of the omegas are all that interested in him, though a few do accept the offer to a dance; but eventually Nico figures he can go take a breath of fresh air without issue. So he slips away from the crowd and into the garden access, only, he wasn’t the only one to have that idea.

Leo knew it wouldn’t be easy, alphas hardly glanced his way twice when they knew who he was, now everyone seemed to be plain out ignoring him; it was a reminder of why he was here, to prove this idea that male omegas weren’t worth the gamble wrong, he just had to convince one of these alphas.

The omegas are a lot nicer, and don’t mind including Leo in their small gatherings as they navigate the ballroom scrutinizing the available alphas. One in particular, a princess Leo’s sure he met before but can’t recognize under the full-face mask; has spent the majority of the night trying to steer alphas in Leo’s way, unless they’re female alphas, not that Leo’s complaining.

But eventually one of the female alphas decides to invite Leo’s situational ally to dance, and he’s left to himself, so he decides to look around. He plans to maybe keep seeking out, but is distracted when he sees a door leading to the gardens; he’s never been to Ádi before, so he can’t help but be curious.

The door opens to a sort of balcony with two staircases leading down to the gardens, he doesn’t head down just yet, taking a moment to allow the night breeze to cool him down, to breathe deeply for a second. It’s a beautiful night, clear and just cold enough to be pleasant when wearing this sort of attire, and the music from inside trill softly to where he now is; he enjoys the almost quiet for a moment, before he senses someone joining him, he waits a few beats, but they don’t go away so he finally turns.

Though he’s always wanted to love someone the way his parents loved each other, Nico had started to doubt he would ever feel the way his father had when first seeing his mother; and then there’s a stranger who’s had the same idea as him, bathed gently in moonlight, hair shifting in the soft breeze.

The world seems to all but slow down as the stranger turns, and Nico is stuck in place, watching captivated as they tilt their head curiously. The stranger, and omega going by the design on his mask, stands in stark contrast to the night scene, every bit like a flame; and Nico thinks maybe this is why moths fly so close to fire.

“Shouldn’t you be enjoying the night?”

Their voice is all it takes to uproot Nico, and he takes a breath he hadn’t noticed he lost; the omega smiles bitterly, like he’s been deeply disappointed, and Nico _has_ to fix it.

“Shouldn’t you?”

The omega lets out a humorless laugh, turning just so, an invitation for Nico to join him on the railing, should he choose to; one he wouldn’t dare refuse.

“No one would dance with me”

Nico is silently wondering if maybe this is why all omegas he’s met never felt right to him.

“What a bunch of idiots”

The omega directs a bitter look his way, though clearly somewhat amused, so Nico takes what he can get.

“I’m male”

The omega says this tightly, like that should explain everything, and Nico isn’t stupid, he knows what others say about male omegas; but it’s far too late for him.

“I didn’t want to assume”

The omega blinks at him once, twice, thrice, and then starts laughing, actual, bright, honest laughter; and it’s the single most wonderful sound. Then the omega directs a still laugh laced smile his way, and Nico’s heart does a little pirouette.

“You’re an odd alpha”

Leo fears for a moment that perhaps he’s finally pushed enough to send the alpha away, but they carefully take his hand.

“I think it’s far stranger to ignore someone so beautiful over a rumor”

There’s something heavy to their words, and Leo feels a sudden urge to console them, only he knows nothing about the alpha, so he distracts him instead.

“Charming, do you talk to all omegas like that?”

The alpha chuckles, flushing noticeably, their mask doing a poor job of hiding their features.

“No”

And Leo can’t find deceit anywhere in their tone, but that makes no sense, the alpha is far too handsome to be even remotely interested in him. He looks away from him, flustered, and honestly charmed; but the alpha pulls his attention back, gently tugging at his hand and kissing it, and if Leo melts internally.

“I really don’t”

Leo wants to maybe challenge him to prove himself, to take him to the ballroom and dance with him in front of everyone; but as he glances back to the party he sees his father talking with one of the few other regents to have accompanied their children as opposed to simply sending escorts. He remembers all too quickly that he isn’t allowed to swoon, to want, to hope; he can’t be seen, so he runs.

He wants to believe he gave some sort of warning before bolting, at the very least, but he doesn’t stay long enough to make sure, instead sliding down the staircase and making a run for the garden. He just needs to stay low for a little, and his father will surely move away from the door so Leo can go back inside without alerting him; it’s a pity that he’s ruined things with the charming alpha, but he’s desperate to prove his point, and beggars can’t be choosers.


	3. Stubbornly charmed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is actually an itemized list of things that I know are going to happen in this story, but it only goes so far in, which is why I can’t promise anything.   
> Spent hours trying to figure out how to write the beginning, while fantasizing about everything I’ve planed next; as you do. I’m sorry this took so long; I’ve lost the very sparse understanding of time I had.

Nico doesn’t know what comes over him, why one moment he stands there like a fool while the omega flies down the stairs and nearly disappears into the night, and the next he’s right behind him, chasing. He does know that he’s never met an omega like _him_ , and he wants to try and salvage whatever connection they were forming before; because it had felt right.

He knows these gardens like the back of his hand, but never had he ran through them at this speed, and maybe he’s a little impressed at the omega, who he’s pretty sure was wearing heeled dress shoes. They make it all the way into his mother’s beloved greenhouse, where she keeps her asphodels and other plants with bad reputations; she’d told Nico they reminded her of his father, while also making her feel a little more at home.

The omega finally stops, panting heavily as he looks at the central fountain, and Nico does too, lost for breath for the second time that night.

“Gods, you’re fast”

The omega whirls towards him, eyes wide, mouthing the beginnings of words, surely; and Nico should explain himself.

“I don’t know why I did that”

The omega blinks at him, and then starts laughing, which for some reason, sends Nico into laughter too. And when they both calm down, and the omega gives him that beautiful laugh-laced smile, Nico remembers himself.

“Look I’m sorry if I overstepped, or did anything to offend you”

The omega shakes his head and walks closer, while Nico tries to keep a non-threatening posture, instead of giving into his instinct to show off for the pretty omega.

“You’ve been nothing but wonderful, don’t worry”

Nico feels himself grow flustered at that, but he’s also confused, and it must show because the omega sighs and looks away.

Leo isn’t sure what spurs him on, what exactly about the alpha makes him feel safe enough to share, but share he does. It’s a little complicated, summarizing the relationship he’s had with his father since being pronounced an omega; talking about his plan is easier.

He’s a little worried at the silence, but when he dares look, he finds the alpha with his arms crossed, looking like he’s trying not to get angry; which is maybe a little scary, Leo’s an omega, he’s allowed to be intimidated by an angry.

“I think I might be able to help, if you’d be fine with me”

Leo has to take a second for it to make sense, and then he has to sit down; luckily the fountain has a large enough base for him to do so.

“What?”

The alpha’s expression changes, lips in a tight line, body tense.

“Your plan is weirdly brilliant, but how do you know your father won’t set you up for failure?”

Leo feels rooted to the spot, as the alpha’s gaze falls on him, looking serious.

“If you’re paired with an infertile alpha, everyone will be quick to make it seem like the problem is you”

Leo frowns, stumped for a moment.

“There’s infertile alphas?”

The stranger gives him a look, which, point made. Leo sighs and pats the spot to his right in the fountain’s base; the alpha raises an eyebrow but joins him when Leo doesn’t relent.

“I would have to act like I utterly dislike you in front of everyone from my kingdom”

The alpha nods.

“Like, all the way, at least until you mark me, and maybe even after that”

The alpha smiles.   
“My mother would love this, and my father will agree with anything that makes her happy”

Leo can’t help but smile along, hopelessly charmed despite himself.

“Your father sounds like a great man, no wonder you’re this lovely”

The alpha turns red then, mask doing a poor job of hiding their reactions despite hiding enough of their features for Leo not to recognize them. Leo takes a deep breath and shifts so he can face the alpha fully.

“So, what’s your plan?”


	4. Introduction (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh fuck, I can finally start having the character use names when describing! That was harder than I figured, I kept slipping.  
> Brownie points to whoever can guess who’s the heir of the Zálassa (Θάλασσα) kingdom, and what letter they fall under.

Here’s what happens:

Leo finds himself back inside, conversing with a different group of omegas, and no one seems to have noticed his disappearance; the group stays with him because he’s a little shaken, and he’s grateful for their kindness. He floats around for the rest of the night, worrying over what he’ll do if the plan fails.

He’s approached by his father a little later, and is congratulated on catching the eye of one of the alphas tonight; he sounds happy so it must be some big fish, but Leo’s mind is buzzing, as he makes an entire backup plan in case things don’t work.

He stays quiet all the way home, and remains so while a servant helps him out of the suit and into bed. He crashes almost immediately despite himself, exhausted by the night he’s had; and he dreams of dancing freely with a masked stranger.

Here’s what also happens:

Nico is quick to find his parents, and tells them only that he’s found an omega, armed with two names, one of the boy he wishes to court, one of the kingdom he hails from; there’ll be time later to explain everything, but for now this is enough to put things in motion.

He spends the rest of the night on the sidelines, keeping an eye on the omega just in case; and sees as he’s approached by his father. Anger coils at his throat while watching them, an urge to go put himself in between them in order to shield the omega; but that would ruin the plan, so he holds himself back.

Nico has to stay a lot longer, if only because this is his home, as his identity has yet to be revealed to the crowd, or to _him_. The omega, Leo, had stopped him from sharing his name, saying it was better that way, resigned smile painting his lips; like he was used to disappointment.

The next week has Leo returning to Ádi, which isn’t that weird, as his kingdom is earthbound with a river the closest water, fit for fishing and drinking but not travel, not without crossing the border to Ádi, where the river turns to sea, turns to ocean. What is weird, however is when their carriage takes them to the palace once again.

Leo tries to make sense of it, and there are plenty reasons for it, like having to wait a little longer for a ship, or perhaps the alpha he’s to be married to has an omega sibling who’s won the interest of prince Nico; and they’re hoping acclimating will be easier with a fellow omega nearby. It’s not unheard of, particularly with how close Ádi and Sfirilátisi are to each other, and how big royal families tend to be.

The Ádi royal family is an outlier in that regard with only two princesses and the one prince, all of whom Leo had never been allowed to meet despite the short distance and amicable relationship between their kingdoms, simply due to his being a male omega; but he knew plenty. The oldest daughter, an omega that took after the Ádi queen in everything but looks, had passed away during a war causing a rift between Ádi and Zálassa; Leo never learned the details, having just presented but not yet knowing what it would mean.

The youngest of the three, princess Hazel, had been a bit of a scandal when the people learned that she would marry before her older brother; a situation that would’ve caused talking regardless, but lasted longer in the spotlight due to the face that Hazel was a beta, while her brother was an alpha.

Leo wondered what that was like, being one of three as opposed to one of ten, what it felt like to be an heir as opposed to something unwanted. He also took in the sights he hadn’t been able to fully appreciate during the night, managing to only glance once in the direction of the greenhouse when they walked pass through a hallway; the only proof that his encounter had been real, that there was an alpha out there actually willing to court him.

Leo hadn’t asked for their name, not wanting to get his hopes up, though he did share his own; he regrets this only briefly, and in the sense that he would’ve liked something to remember them by. It’s not the first time he’s longed for something he cannot have, and if his father has anything to say about it, it won’t be the last.

He’s lost to his thoughts even as he walks looking ever forward, he’s been trained on how to hold himself properly, if nothing else, and he does want to make a good impression regardless of his feelings. Only they make it all the way to the throne room, where the king and queen of Ádi are waiting to welcome them to their home, and there they are…

Or rather, there he is.

The alpha who made him feel like everything for just a moment of a magical night, the one who had heard Leo’s plan and not only approved of it but had wanted to help; and it’s so obvious now, without the mask, exactly who _he_ is.

Leo looks upon Prince Nico of Ádi, and there’s no sign of any other kingdom being present, and he remembers his father’s tone and his own conclusion that whichever alpha had chosen him clearly belonged to a powerful kingdom; and his heart trembles at what his brain is telling him this means.

 _He_ has kept his word, now Leo must keep his. 


	5. Introduction (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Working on this is a THING, because like, I’m excited at the concept, and want to get to where I imagined this going at first, but the in-between is so tedious. I have no inspiration, it’s so fucking frustrating.   
> In this AU Persephone is actually Nico’s mom, which also plays a big part on why this Nico is so different from the one in cannon. Also a bit of Omegaverse combined with how royals were, is what lead to “The Queen’s room”, which is a glorified nesting room, with inspiration from other activity-specific rooms in the homes of the rich and powerful.

Nico’s been told, on countless occasions, about the beauty of omegas, and how they could meld it to their advantage; a leverage in a world so biased towards alphas. But Nico’s never really thought about it, like sure, the omegas that had been introduced to him were pretty, but none of them shook his very nature to the core, leaving him breathless and wanting; not until the fateful masked ball.

He feels that same rush once again today, perhaps even stronger than that night, as Leo of Sfirilátisi enters the room with all the grace of a prince, despite not holding a title; and Nico takes all that he couldn’t with the mask, from bushy eyebrows, to crooked nose, to freckles over round cheeks likely to dimple. He can’t help but mentally compare him to the fair folk of stories, and he has enough time while names are being proclaimed loudly and curtseys performed, to worry about his heart being stolen; only for Leo to regard him with surprised relief however briefly, reminding him it’s too late for him in that regard. 

There’s a lot said while Leo tries to process the fact that this is actually happen, and that by rule of the plan, he can’t show his surprise, or gratitude; and he is grateful, and he is hopelessly enamored. He can’t believe Nico would utilize his kingdom’s prowess to assure getting Leo, of all people, can’t believe any alpha would go to such extent for an omega they barely know; and how is Leo supposed to not melt during courting when he was a mess during the ball?

He’s made a mistake, clearly, and yet, there’s a part of him, fierce, and loud, and irrevocably omega, that would not take any other alpha; not now that he knows what this one is willing to risk for him.

But it’s only until he’s marked, only until there’s no way to get him ripped away from this place, where he could be someone, an actual prince, a consort, a ruler.

All he has to do is pretend not to be free falling for the crowned prince of Ádi.

Oh gods.

Courting is a dance, this was the very first lesson his mother gave him back when he presented, young as he was he hadn’t really understood it; time and suitors had changed that, though he never had really put mush effort in participating other than to avoid offending other nation’s royals and nobles.

Despite this lack of experience, he was sure most courting rituals didn’t start with the alpha’s mother pulling the omega suitor aside; but he knew better than to bring this up. He wasn’t the only one to find it odd, and while having anything in common with Leo’s father didn’t sit well with him, he could credit the man for not making a scene when his patience was clearly running thin.

It'd be enough to make him believe Leo’s accusation of the man only bothering with him when it was convenient for him, if Nico hadn’t bought the story already. And it made him angry, because that meant Leo’s confession that he’d only been allowed at the ball after making sure everyone believed he didn’t want to all that more worrying; a punishment for presenting as an omega when he was also male.

And Nico found himself at a loss, because on the one hand the fact that Leo had lived practically his whole life treated like less than nothing was horrible; but it was also the main reason Nico got to meet Leo the way he had.

Queen Persephone was imposing as she was beautiful, or maybe because of her beauty; she was definitely one of Leo’s favorite omega royals. So he was understandably nervous when she asked to talk to him in private; not really knowing why she’d pull him aside for.

He's guided to the queen’s room, not her bedroom, but her nest room, though when not being used for its main purpose, it often served as a safe space for any royal omega who needed on; Leo can barely remember the last time he was allowed into one, secluded to his little corner of the castle as he was, but he’s pretty sure this one’s fancier. Queen Persephone leads him to a set of couches that seem as though made to be taken apart; but Leo had no doubt most everything in the room could double as nesting material if needed.

“Do you know why I brought you here?”

Leo takes the seat he’s offered, trying to remember anything about how to properly act around royalty, because it’s been a while since he last had a class on decorum.

“I do not”

Queen Persephone gives him a patient smile, the kind he got from his Nyssa sometimes, when she managed to get away from her mate just enough to visit him; the queen of Ádi even leans over almost conspicuously, which is on brand with the kind of visit those were.

“This room has been throughfully soundproofed, so I was hoping you’d be honest with me”

Leo must make a face of sorts because she pushes forward.

“My son seems quite taken by you”

Leo takes careful note that it’s only the two of them there, and allows himself to react accordingly to this revelation.

“He is?”

She gives him a look he’s never received before, so he doesn’t know what to think of it.

“But I will not force you to stay should you not feel the same”

Leo blinks at her a few times, and then chuckles, because well, it is kind of funny; he tries to recover to the best of his ability, as he’d hate to offend her, but it’s hard not to be amused.

“I am more than charmed your highness”

She looks a little confused, which is fair as it is encouraging; it does mean Leo’s doing a good job of acting after all.

“If I explained, would you really keep it a secret?”

The queen gently takes his hand in hers, something sharp in her eyes.

“I promise”


	6. Day 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good gods I think I might be done with the setup, finally. I keep saying Leo’s father like we don’t all know who I’m talking about  
> So, I jinxed myself, as one does. Should’ve given Leo’s kingdom an easier name to remember.

Getting King Hades in on the plan was easier said than done, not because he’d disagree, but because he was busy not only being a king but also dealing with Leo’s father and the fact that if this courting worked, they’d be pretty much making an alliance; which were also king things, but of a different kind.

Thankfully, Queen Persephone was already on the know, thanks to her little chat with Leo; Nico had been right about her reaction, as she was very much on board, but he hadn’t expected her to pull Leo aside like that. His mother had been the most accepting when Nico explained Leo has no title despite being of royal blood, but also seemed absolutely charmed by Leo; not that Nico could blame her, nor complain.

Eventually, Nico and her found a way for Leo to talk with King Hades, one neither Leo’s father nor anyone of Sfirilátisi would be able to hear; which was also easier said than done, but they made it happen.

If Queen Persephone had been imposing, then King Hades was terrifying, but not in a bad way, which confuses Leo even though he’s the one who’s had the thought. Basically, Leo knew the king of Ádi to be a patient man, and a good ruler if one were to take the status of his kingdom into account; Ádi was powerful, and powerful kingdoms often meant powerful rulers.

He’s glad that the rumors do line up with the truth this one time, because the man is nothing if not patient as Leo explains his situation, kind even, for someone who has no issue bringing complains to him.

“And what do you think of my son?”

Leo had expressed his gratefulness with Queen Persephone, but he knows that’s not what King Hades is asking.

“He’s wonderful”

The king lays back into the chair he’s sitting on, and Leo allows himself to ramble a little, talking about the night he met the prince for the first time, about being charmed by the strangest alpha he’d ever met. Then he explains that he hadn’t been expecting Nico to actually pull through, used to being disappointed time and again, and ignoring who he was under the mask.

King Hades smiles at him then, something soft and a little like Nico; and thanks him for his honesty before sending him on his way.

Nico gets to show Leo around the castle, watched by some guards, and gets a firsthand taste of Leo’s acting. It’s amazing knowing that no one taught Leo the ins and outs of behaving in court or in front of nobles, and that he has no issue making this obvious; he’s polite, sure, but sharp as knife and drier than a desert.

Nico would have thought him entirely repulsed by him if he didn’t know better, so he was sure the people around them were eating it up; and Nico only knew better because Leo had managed a way to give him proper responses without being noticed. His mother seemed particularly thrilled by this when Nico told him; even excited about teaching Leo how to rule.

He’s glad for it, really, because he finds himself falling more and more each day; Leo’s brilliant, and in his secret notes very sweet, and he looks lovely in Ádi’s colors. Today the note is about how his family was gonna set up a fake reciprocating gift in the colors of Sfirilátisi; and that while Leo was sure Nico would wear them very well, he’d like to not have any relation to them anymore.

Still Nico would have to wear them, to sell that Leo was really ignoring his advances, so that the omega could actually stay long enough that they could no longer take him away. Because if he was mated, if he tied himself to an alpha, then his father would no longer be able to use him; and maybe he would get to feel human.

Nico had told Leo about a secret room in the castle, built to hide the most fragile of habitants in case of an attack; if one knew how, they could get there from almost everywhere in the castle. They meet there one night upon the omega’s request, and Nico gets to hear about Sfirilátisi and its king from the perspective of someone who suffered them both.


	7. To be wed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, I time-skipped, mostly because it was a bunch of repetition with Leo pretending he’s not even paying attention to the fact that Nico’s trying to court him; and then responding to the courting in private. And Nico falling further and further, while having to act like he’s been issued a challenge, and is stubbornly trying to win it.

It takes a week of their little dance before Leo’s father forces him to publicly accept Nico’s latest gift, and every one after; then it’s only a matter of days before they’re officially engaged. Nico proposes twice, once in with decorum and rules, in front of the nobility of both Ádi and Sfirilátisi, the other a little more nervous and hopeful, for Leo’s eyes only; Leo accepts both, the first in a strained sort of tone, as though pained, the second bright and eager, through what Nico hopes were happy tears.

They still have to keep pretending, as they will until there’s no going back from their union, no way for Sfirilátisi to break the bond; they’d find a way, Leo assures him. Nico curses at the entire situation, wanting to be truly affectionate with his intended, but he still plays his part as best as he can.

Leo doesn’t think there was ever a time where he was this involved in anything, he brisk-walks right between Queen Persephone and some noblewoman omega from his country he was never actually introduced to; the woman keeps trying to sway Persephone towards a very plain white wedding, but Persephone ignores her in favor of asking for his input.

He’s never actually partook on a wedding, so he’s not sure how good his input really is, but he decides to use that to his advantage to choose the most ridiculous things; it’s the most fun he’s had in literal decades, and he can tell his choices amuse Queen Persephone and annoy the noblewoman, so it’s an all-round win.

“I don’t think I had this much fun since our courting days”

It’s a delicate balance, to do good on his work as ruler while still giving his wife the attention she deserves, still he manages. It makes sense that she’s become so fond of him, as they’ve had similar situations concerning the alphas they chose.

“You like him”

He doesn’t need to look to know she’s smiling, as he’s learned to hear it in her voice.

“Oh absolutely”

He hears her turning around, heels brushing against the floor softly, but he’s listening for it.

“You like him too”

It’s a statement dipped in accusation, a little teasing, a lot fond. He thinks about Nico, about him watching both his sisters go away to far off kingdoms, to visit sparsely or not at all; wishing for something his, something akin to the relationship he was closest to.

Then he thinks about Leo, the omega Nico chose, brought to them in the roughest way, and yet made himself a place for himself amidst them easily, almost unnoticed.

“Yes, I suppose I do”

Persephone laughs at him, brightly, knowingly.

He dresses in gold, as expected of any omega of noble-birth born under the flag od Sfirilátisi, but he taints the clothes with the eye-catching indigo of Ádi in its darkest shade. It’s a scandalous act, to wear the crown color of a country he was not yet part of; so Leo took particular care to make it as obvious as possible.

Leo faces his father for his last moments as the man’s property, and impossibly manages not to smirk, nor give any indication that he’s enjoying this. He walks the aisle holding his arm, with a property learned from his ‘forced’ shared time with Queen Persephone, and mentally praises Nico for schooling his reaction before they get close enough to make it out properly.

They are so close to curtain call, so close to the point of no return; that when Nico lifts the veil Leo’s been made to wear due to his nature, the omega allows himself to smile; briefly, just a glimpse at the joy he’s holding inside. And Nico, wonderful, charming, and soon to be his, copies him a second later, just a flash, easy to brush off; and Leo loves him for it.


	8. Endings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am uninspired.

Leo can’t remember the last time he interacted with Nyssa, considering he presented a few days after her coronation; she’s the heir to the throne, together with her omega wife, and thus has been kept strictly apart from Leo. Without a Queen, however, she had to take the part during the second waltz, as was tradition for the newlyweds to dance with the mother/father of their partner; which meant that after sharing a very serious slow dance with his own father, Leo was swooshed away by King Hades, while Nico had to dance with Leo’s sister.

They’re finally allowed to dance together, after cutting the cake, and, in Nico’s case, getting their face covers in it while Leo laughs; he’s not even a little mad, because it’s the only moment, beside that one glimpse at the altar, where Leo smiles. Soon, Nico thinks in order to keep himself in check, soon they’ll be mated and Leo will become officially both Nico’s omega, and a citizen of Ádi; no longer under the control of his father, nor his kingdom.

The celebrations take all night, as Leo is introduced to the Ádi court as Nico’s husband, and future ruler, which is a bit of a rush, because on the one hand this is the first time Leo has a title worth of his blood, and on the other hand he’s trying not to explode from holding in all his excitement at being married to Nico.

He has a husband!

And it’s the single sweetest alpha Leo’s ever met, who’s been nothing but understanding about his situation, and actually helpful with the plan; and absolutely amazing in the brief moments they stole to be together for real.

Leo couldn’t wait until he could be with him freely, no more hiding, actually being able to act like a proper mate to his husband. Gods, he doesn’t think he’ll ever get tired of that word.

Mating is irreversible, irremovable, and most importantly, something Leo’s father would not dare try breaking, less he incurs the wrath of both courts, as mating is a sacred thing, or worse, a war.

Nico knows that if worse came to worse, Ádi would not fight alone; and though the quantity of alliances means Sfirilátisi had more people to call for aid, he knows for a fact that a good majority wouldn’t on account to what was being fought over.

Storgí, in particular, would be harshly opposed to Sfirilátisi should that come to pass, as they valued courting and mating above all else; and there was a long brewing tension between them since the passing of Prince Charlie, who was meant to marry Princess Silena.

There was also Thalassa, who still owed a favor to Ádi after the Giant’s War; as helping in the fight would give them an easier way to pay that particular debt.

Nico feels something grip at his arm, and is brought back to the present to find himself right at his bedroom’s door, Leo at his side. The omega gives him a small smile, all but trembling in place with unbidden energy, and Nico’s heart swells.

“Sorry, I got lost in thought”

Leo’s smile widens a little, a little more playful now that they’re alone.

“Anything you’d share with your husband?”

There’s a tint to how he says the word, sending shivers to run through Nico; and it’s only fair that he’d cause him a similar reaction. He opens the door for them, gently guiding Leo inside as he speaks.

“Thinking that if your father tries anything after tonight I will personally fight him”

Leo’s face explodes as he lets out a very giddy laugh, bright and beautiful; Nico takes advantage of the fact that no one’s watching to gather him in his arms. Leo sighs deeply, gifting him a still laugh-laced smile.

“You’d do that for me?”

Nico lets out a fond huff, brushing Leo’s curls out of his face, and relishing in how the omega flushes at the action.

“Anything for my husband”

Leo shivers against him, a soft gasp leaving his lips; and he’s giving Nico the most wanton look ever. And who is he to deny him?


End file.
